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2017/08/28

Review: Catalyst by Wayne A. Bibbs

First thing to say, this is the first book I’ve read in one sitting for
a long time. This includes poetry books. The book was compelling enough that I
read it straight through over the course of three hours. I found some parts of
the book were funny, some parts of the book were sweet.

The basics: Mark Layton is an everyman with Sherlockian deductive
powers. He seems shy and withdrawn at the beginning, but for some reason gains
the kind of courage and self assurance necessary to talk to the girl of his
dreams, Alicia.

Essentially, this is a superhero story without being a superhero story.
Mark has the power to melt fat and tighten skin of anyone. He charges money for
the service at first, but in benevolence, he makes the trek to Wisconsin to
melt a 900 lb man for free so he can live a better life. This is just one example of Mark’s superhero
incorruptibility, another is the second person he melts (after his now wife,
Alicia), Sheila, becomes obsessed with him.

Mark takes on almost a martyr quality and the audience is intended to
follow along with him, in his shoes, possibly portraying the best possible
outcome on purpose to give the audience a bit of hope in their lives, that
beauty is deeper than skin.